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Jul 3, 2013

To celebrate the return of David Price to the Tampa Bay Rays pitching rotation, we have decided to give away a David Price Cy Young Figurine. After a performance like he gave tonight, how could we not!?

The contest will run until midnight on 7/7/13. Entrants are required to Like Rays Rally on Facebook. Entrants may gain other entries by following @RaysRally on Twitter, Tweeting about the giveaway (1x per day) & commenting on this post. See the Rafflecopter widget below for more details.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jun 11, 2013

Fans of the Rays know by now that in order for this team to compete for the World Series, they need to draft well. That is why last week’s draft was so important for the franchise, as they continue to pour a lot of resources into scouting. There is plenty to love about Nick Ciuffo, and the club decided to take the high school catcher with their first round pick. What does the future hold for the South Carolina native?
First and foremost, drafting a catcher can be risky, but Ciuffo has the bat, the glove and the athleticism to be a solid pick. He is most known for his defense and arm right now, but he projects as a solid hitter who could provide value at the plate as well.

Most high school catchers are not nearly as disciplined and as skilled receiving the ball as he is. He already does a great job framing the ball and calling a game, and those skills are harder to teach to youngsters. His blocking is above average, but should get better when he actually starts playing in the system.
Ciuffo’s arm is the one tool that really sets him apart. He has great footwork, a quick release and it comes easy for him. Most scouts give his arm a perfect grade, and he has the chance to have one of the best arms of his era behind the dish. All of this will be getting fantasy baseball players excited about his prospects, but he isn't a finished product yet.

His hitting is slightly ahead of schedule, but it is what will keep him in the minors until probably 2017. For one, he is just an 18 year old kid who needs to get repetitions at the pro level. Since he is a catcher, it will take him a longer time to get through the system. It is hard to truly project just how good he will be, but many felt he was the best long-term prospect at his position in the draft. The Rays have lacked a talented homegrown catcher in their system, so he could be the answer down the road.

Jun 5, 2013

The Tampa Bay Rays have held many great in-game promotions this season, but this one takes the wedding cake. After the June 15th game against the Kansas City Royals, Rays fans will have the opportunity to renew their marriage vows on the field at Tropicana Field. It isn't very often that you will get a chance to renew your dedication to your first love while enjoying the rush and excitement of your second.

In order to participate, fans must purchase a set of wristbands for $30 that will get them:

Apr 5, 2013

We all know Kyle Farnsworth is a huge fan of paintball, but apparently he is no longer alone on the Tampa Bay Rays. On the team's first day off during spring training, several of the players went out to play some paintball with the Tampa Bay Damage.

The Tampa Bay Damage are a professional paintball team representing our local area. The players making it out to participate were David Price, Matt Moore, Jeff Niemann, Kyle Farnsworth, Sean Rodriguez, Tim Beckham, Matt Bushman, Marquis Fleming & Kirby Yates. You can check out their experience in the video below or read about it on Social Paintball.

For Monday - Saturday games, the first 100 cars with 4 or more people can park for free in team controlled lots.

On Sunday games, all cars that contain 4 or more people can park for free in team controlled lots.

There is parking available in downtown St. Petersburg at the Al Lang Lot, South Core Garage & Baywalk Garage. These lots are generally cost $5 - $10 and can be cheaper than parking near the stadium. You can then access the Looper Trolley for a ride to the stadium. The shuttle runs 90 minutes before the game and an hour after the game. This option is great if you want to experience downtown after the game.

Food
I talk to many fans and it sometimes surprises me that a lot of people do not know about this next tip. You can bring in your own food into Tropicana Field for Rays games! Your homemade sandwiches, takeout from a local restaurant or even your hot dogs & hamburgers from tailgating are all approved. Below are a few guidelines:

Food must be for individual/family consumption.

Food must be individual servings, wrapped, bagged or contained within a soft-sided container no larger than 16" X 16" X 8".

Water bottles must be sealed and no larger than a liter.

Children's single serving juice boxes are also permitted.

If planned properly, you can take a family of four to a Major League baseball game for only about $60. That assumes 4 tickets at $10 each, free parking & snacks brought from home. This is something that all Rays fans should be happy to cheer about!

If you have your own tips on how to save money when going to Rays games, please share them in the comments below.

Mar 24, 2013

I totally forgot that I took a bunch of pictures from the Rays clubhouse tour I took during Fan Fest. I enjoyed the tour because I think you get a real feel of the culture & mentality that Joe Maddon is trying to instill in his players. I didn't have the best camera with me, so feel free to share if you have any better pictures.

Doin' It "The Rays Way" sign on the way to the dugout.

The daily line-up card for media personnel. We all know this rarely is the same twice!

Attitude is a Decision sign.

Joe Maddon's office. Notice the wine?

"Integrity has no need of rules." -Albert Camus

"Rules cannot take the place of character." -Alan Greenspan

Gold Glove award, although I could not see who's it was. Helli or Longo?

The post game disco ball. We can only imagine what these parties look like!

Mar 16, 2013

Lets get the 2013 season started off right with a tailgate party before the first game of the season. Come hang out with the guys of Rays Rally to eat, drink & be merry before cheering on our Tampa Bay Rays to victory. Please see details below and make sure to RSVP here.

What: We will be grilling, eating & chatting away the final minutes before the start of the 2013 MLB season. We will have:

Free hot dogs & snacks depending on how many people RSVP to the event.

RSVP BY 5PM ON 4/1/13 TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE COUNTED.

Games: Cornhole & Ladder Ball (Hillbilly Horse Shoes)

Giveaways: If we can get the RSVP total to 25 or more, we will have some items to give away.

If you want to cook your own food and do not have a grill, we will have a few available to use.

Feb 9, 2013

Love DJ Kitty? We all know you can't exactly steal him home from The Trop, but we did find a way to transform your own feline friend into a close look-alike. All it takes is 3 easy steps!

Step 1:Get your Turntable

In the video played at The Trop, it looks like DJ Kitty is using a DJ Hero Turntable. We found this cat friendly turntable toy made by Suck UK as a good alternative.

Step 2:Accessorize your Turntable

The turntable by Suck UK is great and all, but you may want to make sure people know what team your cat is repping. You can cover up some of the generic pictures on the turntable with a Rays sticker set, like the one below.

Step 3:Dress your Cat for SuccessWARNING: Cats are not known to enjoy wearing things. This step is not for the faint of heart!

DJ Kitty looks to be wearing a kids Rays jersey in the rally video, but we found some Rays jerseys for pets that might make for a more affordable option. You can top off the whole look with a kids Rays hat.

Voilà! You now have your own personal DJ Kitty to rally you through the long off season and extended road trips! Please comment with a picture of your cat as DJ Kitty or send your pictures to RaysRally@gmail.com. We will post your DJ Kitty pictures below.

Feb 7, 2013

Rays Rally was ranked #98 by CouponAudit.com in their list of the top 100 sports blogs to follow in 2013. We are flattered to be on anyone's list and hope to make it worth your while in what promises to be a very exciting 2013 season!

Jan 31, 2013

It's that time of year and we have a chance to send a REAL Tampa Bay Rays fan to the MLB Fan Cave in New York City. If you remember last year, the only "Rays fan" that we had to choose from was also a fan of the New York Yankees. I know what you're thinking, and it really isn't possible.

Our Rays representative for the 2013 season is Stephanie Katz (@SkittyKatz) from Lakeland, FL. She is a true Rays die-hard and is also a co-founder of the Rodney's Archery Club (@RACRays). If she makes it to the Fan Cave, she will be one of 9 fans that will "live" in the cave and attempt to watch every game of the 2013 MLB season. The cave dwellers will chronicle their experiences for all to see and compete in challenges until there is only one fan left.

Please follow our lead by voting for Stephanie to represent us in the MLB Fan Cave. There is no limit to how many times you can vote, so vote now & vote often! It's time to to get our fan base into the positive national spotlight!

Vote Here! (If you refresh the page, you can vote multiple times pretty quickly.)

Jan 6, 2013

If you're anything like me, Spring Training cannot come fast enough! Well it should comfort you a little to know that it is right around the corner. Below are some important Spring Training dates along with the Rays full preseason schedule.